


The Cure

by TheLadyMerlin



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: tamingthemuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 18:21:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyMerlin/pseuds/TheLadyMerlin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel's blood cures more than just an ailing Spike</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cure

**Title:** The Cure  
 **Author:** The Lady Merlin  
 **Rating:** R  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Pairing:** Spike/Xander  
 **Prompt:** Community: Taming the Muse #388 Architecture  
 **Chapter:** 1/1  
 **Status:** complete  
 **Fandom:** BtVS  
 **Genre:** AU  
 **Beta (s):** none, proofread  
 **Disclaimer:** not mine, all belongs to Joss  
 **Graphic:** none  
 **Summary:** Angel's blood cures more than just an ailing Spike  
 **A/N:** More fluff this week. 

 

Xander dragged one of the ugly plastic chairs from its place in the corner and sat down with a sigh. He reached out a hand, noticed his fingers were shaking, and hid them in a fist against his chest. “Why did you do that, huh? Why?” he whispered forlornly.

The still figure on the bed didn't answer. The pale features appeared even paler against the stark whiteness of the sheets. In fact, the whole place seemed sterile and impersonal. Xander just knew Spike would hate it. Maybe he should ask Giles to consider changing them to something more cheerful ...like blue. He turned when the door opened behind him.

“Blue is a nice colour, right?”

Willow nodded indulgently. “Of course it is, Sweetie.”

“How is he?” Buffy asked.

White hot anger flashed through Xander in an instant, dispelling his fear for the moment. He stood to confront the source. “As if you care!”

“Of course I care. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't.”

“Are you sure it isn't the guilt talking?”

“Guilt?” Buffy had the nerve to look genuinely puzzled, which only fuelled Xander's anger further. “What are you talking about?”

“He got hurt doing your job, Buffy. If it wasn't for you he wouldn't be lying there right now!”

“That isn't fair and you know it. I didn't ask him to do anything.” 

“Oh come on!” Xander shouted in disbelief. “You dropped enough hints that even I noticed! You wanted to go out with your new, boy toy rather than doing your job and now he's lying there and it's all your fault!” When Xander finished he was nearly screaming and his hands were two, tight balls at his sides.

Willow stepped between them, facing Xander. “Xander stop it! Would you rather it was Buffy lying there instead?”

Xander let the hurt and the rage consume him. “Yes,” he spat at Buffy, whose eyes went wide with shocked hurt. 

“You don't mean that,” Willow accused, grasping his arms. “I know you don't. And I want you to think, Xander, really think. What if it had been Buffy that had gone tonight instead of Spike, huh? She'd be dead right now. Is that what you really want?”

Xander sagged, his anger receding as quickly as it had arisen. “No, it's just.... I can't lose him, Wills. I can't.” He felt tears pooling in his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to banish them.

“Sit,” Willow said, leading him to the chair he'd abandoned earlier. “Angel will be here soon . Have you eaten anything?”

“I-I can't.”

Willow frowned.“You need to have something.”

“I'll go to the cafeteria,” Buffy offered. “Get you something. A sandwich and some juice?”

“Whatever.”

Buffy placed a small, strong hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “I am sorry, Xander. I didn't mean for this to happen.”

“I know, Buff,” Xander replied, reaching up to give her hand a squeeze in return. “It's okay.”

“Be right back,” she said, leaving the room.

Xander gently held one of Spike's slack, cool hands. He repeatedly traced over the meandering path of the fine, blue capillaries with his fingers, finding the motion oddly soothing. Willow dragged over a chair of her own and sat next to him. Xander appreciated the supportive presence at his side. 

“I knew you two were together,” Willow said, finally breaking the silence, “but I didn't realise you were so close.”

“I love him, Wills,” Xander responded simply. He looked over catching the troubled, confused expression on her face. “I know it's kinda hard to understand.”

“He is...pretty,” Willow said, blushing.

Xander nodded. “Yes, he is and great in the sack, too.” Xander almost managed a smile when Willow's blush got deeper. “But that isn't it. Underneath all that mouthy exterior is someone who gets me. He really does, Wills. You know what he did when I announced I wanted to study architecture?”

“I was there,” Willow reminded him. “He made some snarky remark about pirates and then stomped off.”

Xander did smile then. “Yeah, but what you don't know is that later that night he came home with pamphlets from all the local schools he thought I might like. He bought books, too. Books about huge buildings and dams and houses. I think he was more excited than I was about the whole thing. And when I started getting cold feet, he was right there to push me when I needed it. He even helped with me with some of my classwork.”

“I-I...that's...that's amazing.”

“That's Spike,” Angel said from the doorway.

Xander stood, never letting go of the hand he held. “I never thought I'd ever be glad to see you.”

“Oh, thank Goddess,” Willow said, crossing the room to bring Angel over to the bedside. “Can you help?”

Angel caught Xander's eyes and held them. “Yeah. Wesley has been researching non-stop. An infusion or two of Sire's blood and he'll be back to his annoying self in no time.”

“But you're not his Sire and Dru isn't here,” Xander began, feeling the panic threatening to overwhelm him. “And we don't even know where to find her and then if we did, would she help? I mean, she's insane and she left him and would he even want her-”

Angel effectively cut off Xander's babbling by placing a hand over his mouth. “It will work. In fact, my blood is even more powerful so it should be even more effective.”

Xander nodded, relieved, until he realised Angel still had a hand over his mouth. He knew it was wrong when they needed the vampire's help but he couldn't help himself. He stuck out his tongue. Angel grimaced, pulled his hand away and wiped it on his designer trousers. Xander felt oddly pleased with himself and couldn't wait to tell Spike. He gestured to the bed. “Let's get on with it then.”

Angel cleared his throat. “It's kinda personal.”

Willow jumped up. “Oh, right. We'll wait outside. C'mon, Xan.”

“You go ahead, Wills. I'm staying,” he said with determination, daring Angel to try to make him leave.

Angel merely smiled. “It's okay,” he said to Willow, who nodded and left.

~*~

It was quiet now, everyone else had gone home and Spike was sleeping peacefully under Xander's watchful, contemplative gaze. 

It had been a relief to see Spike move after being so unnaturally still for such a long time. When his face rippled and his fangs dropped, Xander wanted to cheer. But when he sank those fangs into Angel's neck and Angel's eyes had closed, Xander had felt a surge of jealousy at the obvious closeness and intimacy of the act. It was something they had fought about. Not often, which was surprising, since they'd fought about everything else – the remote, the stereo, the pizza delivery - multiple times. Spike had only asked the one time and had been hurt and angry when Xander had said no. Spike had never asked again. A small sound brought Xander out of his musings.

“Hey,” he said, leaning down to place a light kiss to Spike's lips. “Missed you.”

Spike frowned. “Wha?” he whispered.

“You went to clear out that vamp nest for Buffy, remember?”

Spike nodded. “Groelig. Poison.”

“Yep,” Xander confirmed.

“Seems a bit of Angel's blood was the cure,” Xander explained. “Uhm, I was thinking.”

“Hmm,” Spike hummed, stroking over the skin of Xander's wrist.

“You know how you wanted to, uhm, to bite me?”

Spike's eyes snapped up to meet Xander's. “Yeah,” he whispered.

“Well, I was thinking and I sorta changed my mind.”

“You mean you want me to?” Xander nodded, seeing the love in Spike's eyes and knowing he made the right choice. “You sure?”

“Positive,” Xander replied, threading his finger's through Spike's.

“What changed your mind?”

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

~ Mòran taing ~


End file.
